Blueberry Bourbon Hand Pies with Ricotta & Rosemary

“We must have a pie. Stress cannot exist in the presence of a pie.” David Mamet

Fruity and boozy with hints of ricotta and thyme in every bite.

Today is National Pie Day, an annual celebration of pie which started in 1975 when Charlie Papazian a nuclear engineer, brewer and teacher who declared his own birthday, January 23, to be National Pie Day. Why not celebrate the day by making a pie, full of flavor and fits in the palm of your hand.

For this recipe I used the strained pulp from Blood Orange juice along with 1 tbsp of the juice. Any Orange will work in this recipe.

This recipe yields 8 hand pies.

Ingredients

For the Crust: Use your favorite pie crust recipe or simply use a store bought pie crust.

For the Blueberry Bourbon Filling:

2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen

1/3 cup dark brown sugar

1 and 1/2 tbsp cornstarch

1 tbsp fresh orange juice with pulp from the orange

1 tbsp minced candied ginger

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp bourbon

Any quality Bourbon will work for this recipe, for more bourbon flavor you can add an additional tablespoon.

The creaminess of the ricotta and the freshness of the rosemary adds something unique and special to this pie.

For the Topping:

1 large egg, beaten

Crystal sugar

Instructions

To make the Blueberry Bourbon Filling:

Combine all of the ingredients in a saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium-heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture starts to thicken and coats the back of a spoon, about 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the blueberry filling to a bowl and let cool to room temperature.

Combine ricotta cheese filling.

Assembly and Baking:

Preheat the oven to 425°(F). place a rack on the middle shelf. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Roll the dough into a large square, about 16″ x 16″.

For square pies, use a pastry wheel or pizza cutter to cut out sixteen even squares. Using a small knife – or small cookie cutter – cut a vent into eight of the squares.

Brush a little bit of the beaten egg wash along the edges of each square. Spread a layer of the ricotta cheese mixture on 8 pieces of pie crust.

Divide the filling among eight of the squares (or half of the cutouts), using about two tablespoons for each.

Top each filled square with a vented square, and press along the edges with a fork or a pie crust crimper. Make sure the edges are sealed well!

Brush the top of each pie with the remaining beaten egg, and sprinkle with sugar.

Transfer the pies to prepared baking sheet.

Bake the pies for 15-20 minutes. Remove them from the oven, and let cool for 20 minutes before serving.

The whole house will smell wonderful when baking these pies.

Baby don’t you cryI’m gonna make a pieI’m gonna make a pie with a heart in the middle Quincy Coleman – Baby Don’t Cry lyrics

I hope that you enjoy this recipe and I look forward to hearing how your Blueberry Bourbon Hand Pies with Ricotta & Rosemary turn out.